If We Ever Meet Again
by OCfan11
Summary: AKA: The Soul Mark AU No One Asked For, with marks on weapons because, well, 'They're an extension of ourselves! They're a part of us' - Ruby Rose
1. Chapter: Ruby

Chapter: Ruby

"I hereby dub you, Crescent Rose!"

And then Ruby watches in horror as parts of her brand-new scythe start to _collapse_ and _flex_.

"No!" she screams, hovering over the weapon. The panic is real. "What did I _do_?"

"Ruby?" Qrow asks, poking his head in the workshop-shed. His eyes go to the weapon laid out on the table. "Oh, so what did you name it?"

"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby latches onto his arm and tries to drag him to the table. "It just stared moving and- my baby! The parts we smoothed- I don't know what to do!"

"Do nothing," Qrow laughs, patting her head. "This is actually normal." His eyes drift over the new imprints on the motionless scythe. He lets out a low whistle, uncapping his flask as his eyes flash with emotion. "Wow, you sure have a lot."

"What?" Ruby asks, voice thick with worry. "What do I have a lot of? What's going on?"

Qrow jerks a finger at the childish font written along the flat, black, back end of her scythe - a part that will hide when transformed for storage – that reads ' _Salutations!_ ' "A lot of soulmates."

Ruby blinks. Her jaw works but only a high pitch 'eh' comes out.

Qrow smirks. He leans his head back and drinks from the flask to hide the concern he feels about it all.

"Your mother would be better at explaining this," Qrow sighs, grabbing a chair to sit in. He turns it backwards and crosses his arms over the back, watching his step-niece. "But the short version is that the first thing your soulmate – or _mates_ – says to you is written on any weapon you assemble and name."

Ruby blinks away her shock, and then turns to the freshly named Crescent Rose. She counts three sentences, but something tells her there are more.

"This…" Ruby hesitantly says, poking her weapon. She does it again. It doesn't do anything unexpected. "Are you trying to prank me? Cause this isn't funny."

"Nope," Qrow says, running his fingers over the words on his flask. The flask named – _Boire_ – and given so he could laugh at his first words to his soulmate. "This is a secret for all huntsmen and huntresses; so don't go spreading it." He smiles and slumps further in his chair. "Soulmate names only appear to those willing to put other's lives above their own. Bit of a blessing and a curse." He closes his eyes and shakes his head. "And since this shows me how reckless you are, I'll have to train you twice as hard."

"No!" Ruby whines, turning to her uncle. "I never have time for my friends as it is. And don't change the subject!" She pauses and hesitantly looks over to her weapon again. "This soulmate thing is… real?"

Qrow looks grumpy as he stares at the weapon lying on the table, grumbling to himself, "I swear she only let me have the day off because she knew this would happen…"

Ruby's eyes widen and she runs up to her uncle. "Was this how you met aunty?"

Qrow flinches at the thought and gives a nervous laugh. "It took your aunt and me a _long_ time to realize we were soulmates. She had the words right away but, well, there were complications."

"What did you say to her?" Ruby asks, eyes wide. "What did she say to _you_?"

Qrow smiles widely, winking. "Your father's forbidden me from saying a couple of the words while you and Yang can hear me. As for what she said…" he gets up from the chair and goes towards his weapon stored in the back of the workshop.

Ruby frowns. "Uncle Qrow… there's nothing on your scythe. You've shown me it _sooo_ many times I can take it apart and put it back together blindfolded!"

Qrow chuckles and lays it in the free space on the table. "Just watch, kiddo."

Ruby looks over to where her uncle taps on the handle of the weapon. It takes a few seconds of glaring at it. Ruby opens her mouth, but pauses when the fabric around the handle seems to sink in and mold into a better, right-handed grip. The words ' _Shut it already_.' appear. Qrow flips over his weapon, and the words are mirrored on the other side for his left hand.

"Your aunt and I have odd soulmate marks," Qrow says. "Normally, you only meet your soulmate for a first time, well, once." He lets out a harsh breath when, for a quick moment, the marks fade. They come back and he runs a hand over them. "When they flash like that, it's her using her semblance."

The marks completely disappear, and Ruby startles.

"What's going on?" she asks in a hurry.

Qrow ruffles her hair and goes to place his weapon back. "When I can get a handle on my semblance, the words appear. If not, no soul mark." Ruby bounces on her toes with questions. Qrow turns to her before she can say anything. "Start counting, kiddo. It's not every day a weapon gets so many marks."

Ruby grabs the handle of her weapon, but looks at her uncle with trepidation. "What if… Can the marks fade?"

Qrow nods seriously, gaze hooded. "Yah. They can. If your soulmate dies, then the mark disappears."

Ruby tights her grip on her weapon.

"Don't fret over it, kid," Qrow says lowly, ruffling her hair. "If anyone's going to be your soulmate, they're going to be d*** strong. Strong enough to survive and meet you."

Ruby's lips twitch. Her fingers ghost over one of the longer, sunken in, sentences.

' _Ah, it's a pleasure to meet my sister's partner_.'

"What _does_ auntie's weapon say, Uncle Qrow?"

The man snorts. "I'll tell you _that_ story when you're older."

* * *

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. All rights belong to their respective owners.**

 **A/N: Because I thought 'why not do a soul mark AU'. Then this chapter happened. Sorry.**

 **Hope everyone has a great day**


	2. Chapter: Weiss

Chapter: Weiss

"Ms. Schnee," comes the gruff voice from the doorway.

Weiss straightens, and then slumps in her chair when the voice registers. She smiles and turns to the door, nodding politely. "Hello, Klein."

Klein's eyes stray from the heiress to the weapon lying out on the table. "Would you care to take a break from staring at Myrtenaster, Miss?" he asks, an amused smile tugging at his lips. "There are some very nice deserts downstairs that need testing before tonight."

"No… Thank you Klein," Weiss says softly, turning back to her weapon. Her fists clench in her lap and she turns around to face him once again. "Would you mind coming in here and looking at something, Klein?"

The Schnee family's butler nods, surprised. Weiss has already turned back to her weapon by the time he starts to walk over. He catches the concerning scripters under the magnifying glass and smiles. "Ah, congratulations Ms. Schnee."

"Congratulations?" Weiss spits out, horrified. "My weapon has been… _tampered_ with! And you're telling me congratulations?"

"Yes," Klein says simply. Weiss stares at him in outrage. "And your weapon has not been tampered with, Miss." He tilts his head, eyes reflecting concerned curiosity. "Have your instructors not told you about soul marks?"

"Children's stories," Weiss casts off the words. "Someone has clearly come in here and _defaced_ Myrtenaster. I want to know who."

Klein looks at the heiress with sympathy she cannot see. "Ms. Schnee, soul marks aren't just stories. They appear when you have created and named a weapon, but also when you decide to put the life of your soulmate above your own."

"Preposterous," Weiss says, but it is said hesitantly. She shakes her head to dispel the doubt. "No, someone must have come in here, and I want their name."

Klein shifts towards the door. "My apologies, but I would not be of assistance. You should call your sister, Winter."

Weiss' head snaps up. "Why?"

Klein gives a comforting smile. "She called the other day to say she has another soul mark. I'm sure she would be proud to learn that you have your first."

Weiss' lips press firmly together. She nods and replies, "I'll keep that in mind. Good day, Klein."

"Good day, Miss," he replies before turning and walking out of the room.

Weiss goes back to staring at the words wrapping around the part of Myrtenaster where the blade clicks into the handle. Words written in almost illegible handwriting.

' _Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, one of the largest producers of energy propellant in the world_.'

She scoffs at the childish thought. Soulmates. As if.

Doesn't explain how someone managed to engrave it on her weapon within hours of her deciding that her first order business, once she's taken over the company, will be to fix working regulations between the company and Faunus.

She'll figure out how someone managed to do that soon.

Right now, she has a call to make to her sister about a silly bedtime story.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading!**

 **Thank you, hypernova2718, for your review! The aunt will be an OC; sorry about the confusion. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and thanks again for reviewing!**

 **Thank you, Littlest1, for your review! I hope you enjoyed the chapter.**

 **Have a great January, everyone**


	3. Chapter: Blake

Chapter: Blake

' _Hel-looooo!'_

It has been a long time since Gambol Shroud had a soul mark.

There used to be words on the blade of her weapon. Words she had traced over and mouthed too many times to count.

And then, one day, they were gone.

The words that her soulmate had said, or would say, disappeared the same day she lost faith in the White Fang.

If that isn't telling, she doesn't know what is.

That was why she stayed for so long; hiding in the shadows – the back lines – of the organization she didn't want to risk her life for anymore.

Her soulmate is in the White Fang, and she wouldn't risk her life for them anymore.

She couldn't describe the amount of self-loathing and pain that brought.

Blake rubs her fingers over the new, large, padded word.

She just had one of those ' _maybe'_ ideas she would get every now and then. _Maybe_ she could sign up for the nearby - accepting applications - Beacon Academy. _Maybe_ she could get a team she could trust. _Maybe_ she could meet someone she would be proud to live and die for.

Staring at the moon, Blake had frozen when she felt the ribbon of Gambol Shroud shift against her arm.

The word is unlike the sentence that has been long-gone from her blade. The sentence had caved in, while this word pushes out. The sentence had stiff, cutting edges. The word is a bubbly font, cushioning against her arm.

She runs her fingers over the word; afraid it will deflate and leave her. It doesn't. It pushes back, and keeps the strap fitting comfortably around her arm. It is one word, yet she can imagine it being said with a smile; and mouthing it brings her lips twitching up.

It's decided then.

She's going to Beacon Academy to meet her happy, cushiony soulmate.

And Blake _never_ thought she would describe her soulmate as 'cushiony'.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading!**

 **Thank you, Littlest1, for your review! Honestly, I love a lot of the main character ships. It's been interesting trying to come up with 'I've got a soul mark' moments for them. Thank you again for your review, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

 **Thank you,** **Phoenix8221, for your review! Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and thanks again!**

 **Thank you, Dark Dragon Queen of Death, for your review! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

 **Thank you, Baconlord53, for your review! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

 **Have a great week, everyone.**


	4. Chapter: Yang

Chapter: Yang

(It seems like such a simple thing.)

Taking time to reload Ember Celica calms her, even if she does it more often in battle than in the comfort of her room. Twenty-four shots. Twenty-four, glorious, potentially lifesaving, shots.

For now, Yang sits on her bed, alone in Team RWBY's dorm for the first time in forever. She takes deep breaths, wiping the chambers down before starting to reload. She may not have _liked_ bringing up the memories from earlier, but at least Blake's going to the dance now.

Having Raven as a mother made Yang's childhood… interesting to say the least.

Yang switches to her other gauntlet and starts to wipe down the remaining chambers.

(It seems like such a simple thing.)

And she almost has a heart attack.

"No," the blonde groans, moving towards the only working lamp in the room. "Please don't be a scratch. I don't have time for you to be a scratch. Mummy doesn't need this now. Don't you dare be a sc-"

It's not a scratch.

' _B_ '

Yang blinks. Her throat closes, and her hands start to shake. She takes a deep breath and tries not to get her hopes up. There is a space on either side of the letter. She turns the gauntlet and puts the letters – one letter per chamber, for half of her chambers – together in her head.

' _Blake._ '

The letters are smooth, indented, and yet won't cause damage or unnecessary friction against the shell casings. In fact, they look like they could barely be there at all. Only running her fingers around the edges reveals that something is different.

Yang puts the gauntlet down on the table and sits in the nearby chair. So simple, and yet so deceptive. But…

"I have a soul mark." Yang takes a few moments to process her sentence. Then she smiles and repeats herself. "I have got a soul mark. I've got a soul mark! _I've got a soul mark_! _F*** yah! I've got a soul mark!_ Woo _hoo_!"

She cheers and yells while she jumps around her room. Five minutes later, Yang dives for her Scroll and gets ready to tell everyone.

She writes up a text to mass-send, but holds off. Bringing up the phone app, Yang is giddy as she goes to make a personal call to the one person who weathered her disappointment – her parents called it a ' _temper tantrum'_ – over not having a soul mark when Ruby got _seven_.

Her aunt picks up on the first ring. "Hey, Yang."

"Hi, Auntie," Yang says, shaking in excitement. "You'll never guess what happened."

"… Something good?" Yang can hear the smile in the woman's voice.

"Something _amazing_!" Yang flops backwards on her bed. "Blake!"

Her aunt chuckles as something rustles in the background. The woman's probably doing paperwork. "That's your partner, right? Did she ask you out?"

Yang leaps to her feet, laughing out a disbelieving, "Auntie!"

"What?" her innocent-sounding aunt replies. "You're a lovely girl, you kick a***, and you do have a dance coming up don't you? Summer has been nagging about sending you girls some of her old dresses. You did get your present, right? We don't actually need to send you girls dresses?"

"No, no," Yang says quickly, sitting back on her bed with a smile, calming down. "Thanks for the lien. We are all fitted and _dressed_ to impress over here." Her aunt laughs. "But Auntie, I got a soul mark, and it says 'Blake'."

The line goes silent for a second. Before fear rears up, her aunt _squeals_. "Oh my _gosh_! Congratulations, Yang! Oh, I am so happy you've found someone like that. How are feeling? Do you know who it is? When did you get it? Where is it on Ember Celica? What does it-"

Yang laughs, a thick sound as she wipes the tears from her cheeks. _This_ is the reaction she wanted. She's heard the horror stories from her friends back in Patch, about what their parents say; about the concern on their loved-ones' faces. She knows her parents – all three of them – are not going to take this well. They didn't take Ruby's well, and only her aunt, uncle, and she know how many Ruby had on her weapon the first day.

"I'm feeling wonderful, Aunt Danny," Yang says, wiping her cheeks again. "I am… so glad to have a soul mark. To know that…"

"Yang," her aunt's tone is sympathetic. "Never doubt your ability to love. You are growing to be an amazing woman, but you're still just starting life. I'll bet you any money that this won't be the last mark you'll get."

The words on her tongue die when a heavy thud echoes from her aunt's end of the line, followed by her uncle asking, "What are you doing?"

"Paperwork!" is shouted back by her aunt. Yang laughs when her aunt mutters 'hold on' through the phone. She hears shuffling. " _Mark_ _your own tests_ , _Qrow_ , _and stop trying to slip it in with Birch's!_

"I'm back," Yang's aunt says, though Yang can still hear her uncle moaning in the background about Danny being 'the worst partner'. "Now, hun, tell me _everything_."

Yang laughs again and does, feeling lighter than air.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading!**

 **Thank you,** **Baconlord53! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

 **Thank you,** **Littlest1, for your review! Glad you asked; his chapter is the one after the next. It explains more about his… weapon situation. Thank you again for reviewing, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

 **Thank you, HazeCruzz, for your review! Next chapter explains a little more on how their soulmarks work. It'll be slow, but eventually things will come to a head one way or another. Thank you again for your review! I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

 **Thank you, Phoenix8221, for your review! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

 **That ends team RWBY's starting soulmarks. So… who's ready for an exposition chapter? Jaune's chapter will be posted shortly after it, to make up for that. Team JNPR, here we go.**

 **Thanks again for reading.**

 **Have a great week, everyone.**


	5. Chapter: Teaching Interlude

Chapter: Teaching Interlude

The brunette woman appears in the classroom without warning. She leans on her knees, gasping for breath.

"Are you okay, Danny?" one of the third year students asks.

The woman waves off their concern. "Just need to catch my breath." She gulps the air a few more times, and then straightens to face the teacher.

"Thanks for texting me, guys," she tells the teenage students watching her. With a sigh, she walks over to the sleeping professor. "I'll be back in five minutes to teach today's class. Topics are on the Scrollsite; pick something you haven't covered yet, and write it on the board."

She runs her fingers through the teacher's hair, whispering in his ear, "Qrow, I'm taking you home."

The man jerks, blinks, and then stares at her. It takes him a moment to get his bearings, and then he rolls his eyes. "Let's go."

The two professors disappear.

The few students used to this stride up to the board, topics already in mind. A few more follow up. Others chat and wait.

Danny pops back a few minutes later, striding towards the center-front of the room. She turns with a sharp twirl, holding her hands out in a 'what can you do' gesture as she smiles.

"Hi, everyone!" the woman gets a few 'hi's back. "I'm going to be your substitute history teacher today." She turns and finds a blank space to write her first name on the board. "Some of you know my spiel by now, but I've still got to do it. Vale schooling laws require me to introduce myself as Professor Askans. Please, don't call me that. My name is Danny. And today we're learning about…"

The brunette frowns and switches for an eraser. "Sorry, can't do the Schnee Dust Company." She erases the many SDC logos scattered on the board while students moan in the background. "It's Professor Branwen's favourite to rant about. Since there's nothing about broken semblances, I take it you've done it… I know you had a test on Vacuo last week, so that's out too."

She pauses over the last three options. Nodding, she turns to the class. "Alright, hands up for Faunus Arts." She counts and waves them down. "Soul marks?" A larger number. Mostly those not in Hunter/Huntress training. "Vale/Vacuo boarders?" Two people.

"Soul marks win," Danny says with a shrug. She walks around the teacher's desk and sits on it, facing the teenagers. "Those of you who are creating your own weapon would have been warned on this when you're nearly finished. Otherwise, this isn't a topic to be shared in normal conversation, understood?" She gets a couple nods. "I'm serious, everyone. In Vacuo, even mentioning soul marks is taboo. An Atlas citizen has to register every mark they have. Mitral loves to ignore it, and we're the only school in Vale that introduces it to non-Hunter/Huntresses. So, I need to be sure you are _all_ okay with us covering it."

No one denies continuing the subject. Expressions range from interested to hesitant.

"You're free to leave if you find this uncomfortable," Danny tells them softly. "This isn't something you'll be tested on. Your textbooks don't cover it, and if you don't want to hear anything about soul marks, no one will blame you."

No one gets up.

"Okay," Danny takes a deep breath. "So, does anyone have any questions about soul marks?"

Three hands shoot up. Danny picks the non-Hunter/Huntress of the three.

"How do soul marks appear?"

Danny smiles brightly in amusement. "Honestly? The best answer I can give you is magic." A lot of people groan at that. "Soul marks appear on weapons after they've been named, if you have your aura unlocked, and if you put your soulmate's life above your own. The aura one is self-explanatory, while that last one is personal because only you decide what it means to 'put your life on the line'. For the weapon, it could be something to do with treating your weapon with care, respect, or ownership. _You name it,_ it's yours _, your weapon reflects you_ , and all that junk you hear older Hunters and Huntresses say.

"The first sentence your soulmate expresses to you – not the first thing you hear or see from them – is written on your weapon. The how and why is unknown. Some people get tiny words, while other sentences take up a whole weapon. It all depends on the type of person your soulmate is when you meet them. So, I stick by my answer. Magic. … Anyone else?"

The silence is broken when five people put up their hands.

"How common is it to get soul marks?"

"Depends on the person," Danny says. "A person could go their whole life without ever glimpsing one of their soul marks. That is actually normal. Some Hunters and Huntresses only ever get their soul marks in the heat of a battle. Those will fade after they've protected their soulmate. I find it takes an unusually strong amount of love and selflessness to keep a soul mark. And you can't just think 'oh, I'm going to put my soulmate first' and see a mark. If your soulmate has the personality of a person you hate, you aren't going to see the mark until you've met them and learned to accept the qualities you don't like about them."

"Then can soul marks fade?"

"… Yes," Danny nods slowly. "It's rare that soul marks are always on weapons. Most come and go depending on circumstances. Actually, using your semblance is the one for-sure way to make a mark fade. A semblance is used to keep _you_ alive. Only _extremely_ special circumstances change that."

The same person hesitantly raises their hand.

Danny nods sadly. "Yes, they can be gone forever." The student looks conflicted, while the in-training students slump at the thought. "If your soulmate dies, then there is no way for the mark to come back… and yes, it is possible you won't hear them before they die. The mark is what they say _when_ they communicate to you for the first time. This is one of the main reasons soul marks aren't talked about. To many Hunters and Huntresses, their marks are sacred. It is scary to realize that you would put someone else's life above your own, and worse if they are gone before you know them.

"It's why Vacuo won't talk about it. They keep things that precious close to their hearts.

"Atlas keeps track of soulmates; to make sure you won't turn against them for the ones you love.

"Mistral doesn't have time to deal with soulmates. Between politics and bloodline traits, they don't end up with soul marks often.

"Vale would love it if people forgot soulmates existed. The Witch and The Wizard story originated in it's capital city. You can find a soulmate version in our library. That fairy-tale is the closest thing you'll get to truth in a Vale book about soulmates. With all the fake rumours about soulmates in the main city, Beacon had to remove it from their lessons.

"But I'm going off," Danny says weakly. "Next question?"

A lot more hands go up.

"What's the normal amount of soul marks?"

"Two or three if you're a successful Huntsman or Huntress," Danny answers automatically. "Very rare, or a short career with no travelling, leaves you with one. The highest recorded was twelve, and only one of those twelve didn't have another soulmate."

"What does it mean to be a soulmate?"

Danny smiles brightly. "Anything you want. Most often, it means that you can fight in perfect sync with each other. No extra training required. Lots of people end of best friends because of it. Being anything more than friends is… hard on a person. Especially if they have other soulmates that their partner doesn't have. You'll hear about 'love squares' if you ever ask freshly-graduated teams about soul marks. There's always one. But that doesn't mean-"

She cuts off as the bell goes. The students start packing and Danny hops off the desk.

"Your professor should be back tomorrow. You can ask any of the staff about soul marks, but I'll be going more in-depth next time I substitute. See you around."

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading!**

 **Thank you, Phoenix8221, for your review! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

 **Thank you, Littlest1, for your review and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

 **Have a great February, everyone**

* * *

 _ **Edited: April 12, 2017. Now includes Team RWBY Soul Marks**_

* * *

 **Team RWBY (Known) Soul Marks:**

 **Ruby (7):**

'Salutations!' - ? (Season 1, Episode 15)

'Ah, it's a pleasure to meet my sister's partner.' - ?

 **Weiss (1):**

'Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, one of the largest producers of energy propellant in the world' - ? (Season 1, Episode 2)

 **Blake (2):**

'Hel-looooo!' - ? (Season 1, Episode 3)

 **Yang (1):**

'Blake.' - ? (Season 1, Episode 3)


	6. Chapter: Jaune

Chapter: Jaune

If he had named his weapon, Jaune wouldn't have had to sit through an awkward talk with his partner on what soul marks _mean_ to Hunters and Huntresses.

At least he could be forgiven for not knowing this. Only schools with Hunter/Huntress in-training classes in Vale _briefly_ cover the topic. Atlas, Mistral, and Vacuo don't have it in their curriculum. Not like auras, semblances, or dust. His parents never even _thought_ to explain to their 'I'll use a family heirloom as a weapon' son about finding a person he'll work in perfect sync with. By the time his redhead partner finishes the talk, he is a month into schooling and the topic hasn't even come up in _class_.

Jaune doesn't remember anyone talking about this to him before his partner. He doesn't even know if his parents have a mark. Seven sisters, and maybe once was it mentioned, but, if it was, he deemed it too mushy to take seriously.

Also, since he wasn't the one to name Crocea Mors, he isn't expected to have a soul mark on the weapon. His partner can't help him with this, because she assumes what most Hunters and Huntresses assume: if you don't make and use the weapon, you don't want to see the mark. Ruby or Yang, or even Blake if he had ever _said_ something about the topic, could have showed him how to make a _chopstick_ show his soul mark. But, since he had a weapon named by someone else, they thought he just didn't want to know.

Most civilians don't want to know. With Jaune's level of skill and recently unlocked aura, the others completely understood if he didn't.

Any soul marks he could have had wouldn't have showed if he did try another weapon. With the focus he had on training himself up to standards, the blond's soul marks would have stayed gone until he took focus away from himself. If the 'evil' in Remnant had stayed away in his lifetime, he wouldn't have his first mark until his thirties.

(Not to say Crocea Mors doesn't have a soul mark. As terrifying as it is to think, the souls of two people from the Great War were still around. But the soul mark was so small - hidden from sight while it fades and reappears constantly - it is no wonder no one knows it's there.)

But the 'evil' in Remnant doesn't stay away in Jaune's lifetime.

If he had named his own weapon, a soul mark would appear the moment Pyrrha shoves him in the locker. Because, at that moment, Jaune Arc realizes he would do anything – _anything at all_ – to protect the woman who just kissed him. She is his partner, his guiding hand. She is the only person who _one hundred percent_ believes he can become a warrior.

He feels cold from a moment that should have left him warm.

 _A goodbye kiss_.

And the death of Pyrrha should have made his not-there soul mark disappear forever.

But, if Jaune names a weapon before, during, or after the impromptu trip with his new team, the words she first said to him – his soul mark – would be on that weapon.

' _Nice to meet you, Jaune!'_

Then again, if Jaune hadn't taken Crocea Mors with him, they never would have had the weapon that would save the world.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading!**


	7. Chapter: Nora

Chapter: Nora

Written on Magnhild's handle is his handwriting. It appears when she names the weapon. It is her _grip_ on the weapon.

' _Hey_!'

When they had learned about soul marks and soulmates, she knew then and there that he would be hers. To see it confirmed… brings her to tears.

"Nora!"

The orange haired girl wipes her tears away as her soulmate pulls her to him, glaring around the room.

"What's wrong?" he asks, slowly releasing her when he can't see the danger.

"Nothing," Nora tells him. She chuckles thickly. "I'm fine, Ren."

He sighs and goes to demand an answer, but sees the weapon. Sees the grip. "Is that…?"

"May I introduce you to Magnhild!" Nora chirps stepping forward to grab the weapon. She covers one hand around the lower half of the mark. It feels _great_. She twirls the weapon and then holds it out to show off. "Ta da!"

"You finished it," Ren says, smiling softly. He takes it, careful to trace the soul mark while examining the rest. He smiles at her, teasing. "And here I was so close to beating you."

Nora smirks back. "Aw, Ren! You should know better by now! I'll never lose a challenge!" She pumps an arm, winking.

He chuckles.

Lowering her arm, she gazes back at the word. A soft smile on her face as her eyes burn, holding back tears. "Makes sense now, right?"

He nods in understanding.

They battle with a sort of grace that puts the village leaders to shame. They become stronger together.

She looks up, gazing at him with unbound excitement.

He is her best friend.

She loves him with everything she has.

That's why, when he shows a completed StormFlower a few days later – complete with _two_ soul marks - Nora knows she will tamper down the jealousy and learn to love that person too.

She won't let him fall without her. She will be there to drag him out of every dark place and into the light. From the boy who saved with her, to the man who became her best friend, she won't let him go without a fight.

She'd sooner destroy the world then live without Lie Ren.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! Had to rewrite the outline for this chapter no less than three times after the Kuroyuri episode came out. Hope it turned out alright.**

 **Thank you, hypernova2718, for your review! When I can, I'll edit that. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and thanks again for your review!**

 **Thank you, jin0uga, for your review! Glad you like it! Thanks again, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

 **Thank you, Littlest1, for your review! Lancaster could be a great pair; personally, I bff ship them. Thank you again for your review, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

 **Thank you, Phoenix8221, for your review! Glad it didn't feel to expositional-dump-y. The others teams will have chapters, but with so little on them it's been… an experience trying to write chapters for them. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and thank you again for your review!**

 **Have a great week, everyone**


	8. Chapter: Pyrrha

Chapter: Pyrrha

Her mother is the person to drill it in her head.

 _Help the weak. Be the sword and shield. Protect and guide those who can't help themselves._

 _You can prove them all wrong by becoming a Huntress_.

If only it is that simple.

She can still remember the horrible, awful moment her semblance activated.

…And still sometimes struggles to get her _metallic_ _cereal spoon_ to stop sticking to her.

But, it is because of her mother's teaching that Miló and Akuoúo͟ each have one soul mark. Not that anyone would have said something to her. Students at Sanctum Academy didn't talk about those things openly with others.

At Signal, on the other hand, she learned _loads_ about soul marks. The instructor of her short, intense training there explained that, _no_ , her soulmate would not say those words to her four times. Miló and Akuoúo͟ are different weapons. _Yes_ , the two words on the gears of Miló Xiphos and the two words on the inside of Akuoúo͟ are the same for a reason.

' _Yeah, yeah_.'

Two words, noticeable to only her, in places you wouldn't think to see anything importance. Slightly sunken in and small.

To Pyrrha Nikos, it becomes so obvious at Beacon that her soulmate is Jaune, it is almost painful.

To others, they just think it was love at first sight for her.

No.

 _Help the weak._

It wasn't.

 _Be the sword and shield._

And it wouldn't be love for a long time.

 _Protect and guide those who can't help themselves._

Her mother's teachings just made her gain his soul mark before he got hers.

And then, when she is alone in the library one day-

"Hey, Pyrrha," Yang chirps, sitting down across from her.

The redhead blinks, brain not computing the cat-caught-the-canary grin Yang has on. "Hello, Yang. How may I help you?"

"I've got a question." Yang continues to smile, curiosity on her face.

"Alright?" Pyrrha answers hesitantly. She hopes this isn't a bored Yang. It has been learned early that bad ideas come from a bored Yang.

"Have you ever been to Patch?"

Such an innocent question, yet so much weight to it.

"Yes," Pyrrha replies, not giving anything away.

"Did you go to Signal?"

Pyrrha purses her lips and nods, Yang watching her every move. "For a short while, when I was much younger."

"Ah," Yang says, as if it all makes sense. "Askans Guide or personal reasons?"

Pyrrha is a bad liar on a good day. She hesitates a second too long. "Personal reasons."

Yang's eyes narrow slightly and her grin stays in place. Cold shoots through Pyrrha.

 _She knows_.

"Danny is my aunt," Yang explains, watching the redhead carefully. "I was just wondering because you looked familiar. Must be my mistake. Hey, maybe we had classes together!"

Pyrrha relaxes slightly, a nervous laugh escaping. "Maybe."

"Do you know Shutter?" Yang asks suddenly.

Pyrrha relaxes fully. She knows the insect Faunus. "She took photos for me during my first Regional Tournament."

Yang seems to take her words as conformation to blurt out, "You do know she only took classes in the Askans Guide, right?"

Pyrrha slowly places her clenched fists on her lap under the table. "Is that so?"

Yang finally loses her smile. "I'm not going to mention it to anyone, Pyrrha. I'm just making sure you're okay."

"I'm fine," Pyrrha says with a fake smile. Yang stares long and hard. "Really. You don't need to worry."

Yang looks over in sympathy. "If you don't mind me asking… how bad is it?"

Pyrrha unclenches and clenches her fists. She quickly looks around, but no one is in position to hear them. She looks over to the blonde who truly seems to want her to be okay. The words come out before she can stop them. "My chest and ankles are the worst physically. And… I am… _unable_ … to turn my semblance off."

Yang's eyes widen. "Do you need me to get you something?"

"No," Pyrrha denies, a smile tugging on her lips. "Don't worry, please. I have it under control." When the blonde doesn't look convinced, Pyrrha reaches across the table to take her hand. "I am _fine_ , Yang."

Yang sighs and shakes her head. "Just, let me know if you need anything. I may not have a broken semblance, but I do understand not being in control." She pauses, lips twitching up and Pyrrha can practically _feel_ the tension-breaking puns coming. "Auntie says dust is good, but it costs a pretty _copper_. You _gold_ to let me know if you feel even a _silver_ of the side effects. And, if anyone bothers you, I'll make sure they never _metal_ with-"

"Yang," Pyrrha cuts her off, laughing. "Thank you, but I will be okay." She calms and gives a worried smile. "Just, _please_ , don't let anyone know."

Yang sighs and nods, getting up. "I really think you should let people know. It's nothing to be ashamed of." Pyrrha opens her mouth, but Yang waves her off. "I think you've more than shown the world what you're capable of, Pyrrha. Just think about it, please."

Pyrrha sighs and goes back to her homework. "Thank you, Yang, but…" She can't come up with the words to finish her thoughts.

Yang seems to understand it. "We're here if you need us. I just don't want to see you hurt."

Pyrrha doesn't reply to that, and Yang leaves with a 'goodbye'.

 _Help the weak._

Pyrrha knows what it's like to be weak.

 _Be the sword and shield._

It isn't that the Untouchable Girl uses her semblance to win her matches.

 _Protect and guide those who can't help themselves._

She had to work to survive. With her semblance always on, she needed to work on her stamina to _live_. One good hit, and she's dead.

 _You can prove them all wrong by becoming a Huntress_.

Well, she's working on that.

And, with Yang knowing, a part of the Untouchable Girl feels lighter.

That doesn't explain why the side of Miló's rifle form is suddenly branded and why Akuoúo͟ has words written on the side facing her opponents.

' _Did you just throw your javelin straight through an Ursa's_ eye _?!'_

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading!**

 **Thank you, Littlest1, for your review! Agreed! I find a lot of RWBY ships can be both… Just goes to show how much it plays with heartstrings. You're actually spot on; a bit more on Ren's marks next chapter. Thank you again for reviewing, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

 **Thank you, sakuralovelight, for your review! Danny is female, and uses that version because it's a short version for her first name (her first name is spelt closer to Danny then Dani). Thank you, though. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and thanks again for your review!**

 **Have a great March**


	9. Chapter: Ren

Chapter: Ren

' _I'm scared_ …'

The words remind him that his smiling, _joyful_ , best friend still has moments of weakness. That, no matter how many Grimm she ends up riding just to annoy him, she wasn't always this way.

The words may look rounded, but they are _sharp_. They puff out, but keep his hands from sliding forwards on the weapon. On the underside of StormFlower's barrel, Nora's first words to him are what keep him steady.

Lie Ren's heart tugs every time he sits down and traces the words.

"Come on, Ren," Nora groans plopping down on the bed beside him. She nudges him with her elbow. He smiles and raises an eyebrow at her. "Ugh. We're going to be _late_! What's got you like this?"

"Nothing," Ren answers with a small laugh. He deactivates StormFlower, sliding it back into place. His second soul mark is the reason it fits so well. He doesn't need to worry about it falling because of the determined, indented word.

' _Right_.'

"Let's not keep Ruby waiting," Ren continues, letting Nora pull him up.

The orange haired teen starts to ramble excitedly as they exit their dorm.

He's excited too.

It's one thing to have different soul marks. Common, even. But the _rare impossibility_ that happened is enough to keep him smiling every time he glances at StormFlower.

One soul mark for Nora.

One soul mark for Ruby.

And, once he told his best friend, Magnhild's base gained a second soul mark.

Ruby explained her multiple marks, and how she guessed but didn't want to say anything.

Ren couldn't have asked for anything better.

"Hey!" Ruby shouts, waving at them from down the hall. "Come on you guys! The movie starts in half an hour!"

"We're coming, geesh!" Nora says, dragging Ren forwards. " _Someone_ was taking _forever_ to get ready."

Ren smiles at his soulmates. "I'm not the one smuggling food into the theater."

Nora gasps in mock outrage while Ruby laughs. The red haired girl chuckles out a, "Don't worry." Ruby hooks an arm through Nora's and leads the way. She leans in and whispers conspicuously. "I've got the drinks." Ruby winks.

Ren chuckles while Nora cheers, "thata girl!"

He truly couldn't have asked for anything better.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading!**

 **Thank you,** **Littlest1, for your review! Hope I did right by them. Thank you for reading and reviewing! I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

 **Thank you, aRabidHobo, for your review! Glad you're enjoying both this one, and Out of Order. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and thank you again for reading and reviewing!**

 **So, that's JNPR. Next week will have a set-up chapter, as well as a soul mark chapter. The question I have… who would you rather the soul mark chapter be for?**

 **Options are: Penny, Cinder, or Coco. If Penny or Cinder is chosen, they are followed by another set-up chapter. If Coco is chosen, then the following chapters are for the rest of Team CFVY.**

 **Have a great week, everyone**


	10. Chapter: The Pre-First Day of School

Chapter: The Pre-First Day of School

Ruby leans back on the front wall of her house - beside the open front door - sighing at the lack of music. Honestly, as grateful as she is to be going to Beacon with her sister, she's still miffed that her headphones were destroyed while attempting to stop the robbery.

"Are they here yet?" Yang asks, poking her head out.

"No," Ruby groans.

Yang seconds the groan. "We're going to be late if they don't hurry."

The blonde sibling goes back inside to grab her bags. Ruby huffs and blows the hair out of her eyes. She looks from the sky to the ground.

Blinks.

Stares at her aunt and uncle.

Her aunt falls to her knees, huffing. She waves off the man's concern.

"They're here!" Ruby shouts. She scrambles to grab her bags and weapon before running forwards at them.

"Hey, kiddo," Qrow smirks, catching her in a one-arm hug. His free hand ruffles her hair.

"Uncle Qrow," Ruby whines, dropping her things to try and break free. "Stop it."

"Finally!" Yang shouts, slamming the door.

"Hi, Yang," their aunt huffs, waving as she stands.

"Whoa, what happened to you?" Yang asks, raising and eyebrow.

Danny snorts. "Nothing." Their aunt stands tall, arms above head as she stretches her back. "You two excited for your first day of Professional Huntress school?"

"Heck ya!" Yang says, fist pumping. Ruby finally breaks free of her uncle and stands back, looking uncomfortable. "I am _stoked_ for today!"

"Ruby?" Qrow asks, looking amused.

"Well," Ruby says, hands clasping together as she avoids their eyes. "I'm a little nervous."

The adults share a look. They break out laughing.

The siblings look confused.

"Your first day is going to suck," Qrow tells them, chuckling. Danny rolls her eyes and wacks his arm half-heartedly. "What? It's true."

"Second day will be much better," Danny tells them. "So don't worry too much about what happens today, alright?"

"Is your weird pre-cog talking," Yang asks, unamused, "or are you speaking from experience?"

"Experience," Danny answers while Qrow says, "Both."

He gets whacked again.

"We just wanted need to make sure you two to go in there _not_ expecting it to be all sunshine and rainbows," Danny says sternly, a smile playing at her lips. "Doesn't mean you shouldn't be happy, but know that whatever happens today, it's really only your first day. Everyone is nervous and excited, so there may be some, uh, short fuses."

Yang chuckles and ruby rolls her eyes so hard her head moves with her. "We know, Auntie," Yang says, grinning. "Don't worry; _we_ won't be the ones blowing up."

Qrow starts choking he's laughing so hard. Danny's shoulder's shake as she holds out a hand to the two. "Alright, alright, let's get going." The older woman looks at Yang and winks. "We've got a surprise for both of you at the docks."

"Oooh," Ruby scrambles to grab her stuff, and then latches her arms around the outstretched one. "What kind of surprise?"

"Nothing too horrible," Qrow says, wrapping his arm around Danny's free one. Yang takes the outstretched hand, making sure all her bags are on her person. At his partner's glare, he protests, "Hey, I'm allowed to say that!"

"I'm telling," Danny taunts before she turns to the teenagers. "You know the drill. Breathe out in three, two, one-"

;;;

Ozpin stares out the window in his office.

 _He remembers the creature flying towards him._

 _He remembers fear._

The edge caused from last night's nightmare is finally fading. He can stare at the mountain in the distance without the paranoia that _the mountain won't be there_.

Doesn't mean he isn't anxious looking at it. Knowing what rests under there, who could glance at it without some unease?

The elevator _dings_ behind him.

He turns.

 _The dread fades._

Ozpin smiles, hiding his relief.

"Ah, hello, Amber," he walks over to his desk, going to sit for this conversation. "We're glad you could make it."

"So am I," Amber mutters, smirk playing on her lips. She watches Glynda walk past to stand beside the headmaster. "No one else is coming for little old me?"

Glynda does not look impressed. "Students, new and old, are arriving today. You could have picked a better time to come by."

"You break my heart," the fall maiden says sarcastically, complete with eye roll. "I was planning to be in Mistral right now, but Danny needed me assisting the Askans group. Can't say no to the group that helped you, you know?"

"They dropped you off today, correct?" Glynda asks a curious glint in her eyes. "Why come here then, instead of Mistral?"

Amber's face flashes for a second. _Fear_. Then she's all smirks and sass again.

But Ozpin sees.

He's been seeing it in himself all morning.

"Thought I should deliver some things Qrow's found," Amber explains, reaching into her side bag. "Less suspicious to Danny if I asked her to drop me here than have Qrow miss seeing his family off."

Ozpin chuckles a little as he takes the files she finds. "Thank you, Amber. Would you care to stay for lunch? Students don't arrive for another couple hours."

Glynda sighs and heads towards the elevator. "I'll go to the kitchen."

Ozpin gratefully nods his head when he catches her eye. Glynda raises an eyebrow, and then nods to the fall maiden. She caught the fear, too.

The elevator doors close.

Ozpin turns to the tired looking woman. "What's been bothering you?"

It turns out, Amber's nightmares are worse than his.

;;;

"Thank you, thank you, thankyouthankyouthankyou-" Ruby repeats, words muffled as she hugs the taller woman's middle.

Yang is still squealing at the keys in her hands.

Raven chuckles and pets Ruby's head. "Little Rose, I can't feel my spine."

Ruby squeaks and jumps back, cradling the new headset in her hands. "Sorry."

"This is awesome, Mom!" Yang shouts, now getting her chance to crush Raven. She tilts her head to her other parents. "Thanks Mum! Thanks Dad!"

"No problem, dear," Summer chuckles, coming up to run her fingers through Ruby's hair. The younger girl hugs her biological mother.

"Only the best for our girls," Taiyang adds, throwing his arms around both women. Quieter, he adds, "Raven had to pick everything out."

"She had ultimate veto power," Summer says sadly.

"They wanted to get you an orange Mini Car," Raven says dryly. Yang looks appropriately horrified. "And they wanted to get you cat eared headphones."

Ruby giggles while Summer looks offended. "What's wrong with cat ears?"

Raven deadpans, reaching over to tug Ruby towards Yang. The blonde sister smirks and puns, "Yah, mom, why aren't you _rav-en_ about cat ears?"

Summer cracks a smile and Raven turns to her biological daughter. The woman steps back and holds the laughing Ruby closer. "You're both dead to me."

Taiyang chuckles and steps back as the final announcement is hear overhead. "Come on, Danny and Qrow should have your stuff onboard by now. Can't miss your boat if you want to make it to Beacon on time."

While the family goes on ahead, Yang tugs her bio mother back for a second. "Seriously," the blonde says in a moment of vulnerability, "thank you. For the new bike, and for coming."

Raven hesitates, and then pulls her daughter into a solid hug. "I'm sorry there was doubt I'd miss it."

The woman's eyes drift over to her brother. They lock eyes. He smirks knowingly.

Raven holds on tighter.

;;;

"Not until year two?" Qrow asks with certainty he shouldn't have. He just needs to hear it again.

Danny sighs and watches the ship rise into the air; destination: Beacon. She rolls her shoulders to ease the pain in her back. "Not until year two. Sorry I don't know the exact date."

"Sorry I won't tell you," Qrow replies with a snort.

Danny cracks a smile. "We'll figure it out."

Qrow smiles and nudges her. "You're the worst partner."

Danny smiles and snorts so hard her body jerks.

Her foot slips in a wet spot on the dock.

She can feel her semblance flare.

And falls into the ocean, a few meters away.

Her head comes up out of the water as she sputters. Qrow is laughing as he jogs over to the edge. He kneels down, sticking out a hand as she swims closer to shore. He chuckles as he says, "Sorry."

Danny grabs his hand and kicks off the dock.

Qrow yelps as he falls in.

When his head pops out of the water, Danny innocently looks back at him. "Sorry."

"You ruined my good shirt," he tells her with an evil grin.

"Whoops," she replies with a smirk.

Later, when they're drying off, and Summer is scolding them, and Raven is laughing at them, and Taiyang is trying to explain to civilians that they are okay in the head, everything feels _right_ in the world.

Everyone forgets the nightmares of Grimm and death, of arrows and eyes, and is happy for at least that day.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! So, it was a tie 2-2 votes for team CFVY and Penny, and 1 ½ votes for Cinder. Because the first vote came in for team CFVY, Coco will have the next chapter. Then the rest of team CFVY, followed by Penny, and then Cinder. Sorry Cinder fans, bit of a wait. Hope you all like what I do with them, though!**

 **Thank you, Littlest1, for your review! I'll list the Soul marks revealed for JNPR in this chapter, and go back to Chapter 5 to list RWBY's. Thank you for voting, reviewing, and reading! I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

 **Thank you, , for your review! Thank you for voting and giving Cinder some love! I hope, that when her chapter comes, you'll enjoy! Thank you again for voting, reading, and reviewing! I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

 **Thank you, TheParadoxicalOxymoron, for your review! I hope you enjoy the chapter for Penny when it comes! All will be revealed then. Thank you so much for reading, reviewing, and voting! I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

 **Thank you,** **hypernova2718, for your review! I'm going write at the end of this chatper JNPR's revealed marks, RWBY's in chapter five. I'll be sure to add the episode they come from, if they come from an episode. Thank you reading, reviewing, and voting! I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

 **Thank you, Guest, for your review! I hope you're not too disappointed that they won't be next, and that you enjoy their chapters when they do come. Ruby will eventually have a Penny! Thank you so much for reading, reviewing, and voting! I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

 **Have a great April, everyone**

* * *

 **Team JNPR (Known) Soul Marks:**

 **Jaune (1):**

'Nice to meet you, Jaune!' – Pyrrha (Season 1, Episode 4)

 **Nora (2):**

'Hey!' – Lie Ren (Season 4, Episode 10)

'Let's go.' – Ruby (Season 1, Episode 8)

 **Pyrrha (2):**

'Yeah, yeah.' – Jaune (Season 1, Episode 4)

'Did you just throw your javelin straight through and Ursa's eye?!' – Yang

 **Ren (2):**

'I'm scared…' – Nora (Season 4, Episode 10)

'Right.' – Ruby (Season 1, Episode 8)


	11. Chapter: Coco

Chapter: Coco

When she was a young girl, Coco Adel loved stories of princesses and heroes.

A few years later, she decided she'd rather be a knight than either of those.

Knights have people they can rely on. They have missions and goals. Knights aren't uncertain with what they want. Knights don't _wait_ for people to love them.

But knights have tacky outfits.

That why she's becoming a huntress instead.

And - no lie - she's never been happier.

Coco hums as she flips through the clothing rack, looking for a black turtleneck her size.

Her free hand brushes her handbag, and the words bubbled out for the world to see.

' _Either goes with your bag, but I think your outfit would come together more if you used protective gear rather than body armour._ '

The sentence that's been there for every weapon.

And didn't that hurt. All those stories of soulmates finding each other on hunter/huntress teams, and not one of her teammates have a mark with each other.

Not in first year, when they were team CFYN.

Not second year, when Velvet replaced Noir.

Coco picks the turtleneck off the rack and holds it up to the light.

"The stripes go the wrong way," says a woman beside her.

Coco hums and nods, replacing the clothing. "Just my luck."

The saleswoman chuckles and wraps an arm around the taller huntress' waist. "We've missed seeing you here, Coco. You make ours days at Booties and Boutiques _so_ much more exciting."

Coco's lips curl up and she nudges the smaller woman away. The huntress turns and properly sees her soulmate. "I'm sure the Academy gives you enough clientele to keep busy."

Another saleswoman walking by pauses and gives a long-suffering sigh. "You should hear Teal when you're away. 'I wonder if Ms. Adel is okay', 'do you think Coco would like this for a present', or my favourite 'will you text me if she shows up while I run for lunch'."

Teal full-on blushes and stutters; angrily waving a fist at the passing saleswoman. Coco's smile widens and she leans down to bop the smaller woman on the nose. "Can't get enough of me, huh?"

Teal blushes harder, hand covering mouth to stop a rush of words.

"That's good," Coco says, leaning back and crossing her arms. "I'd be worried if my princess decided to ignore me."

Teal makes a pained sound and covers her whole face to escape embarrassment.

The nearby staff chuckle at the two.

But it's true.

Even if they weren't soulmates, Coco would have found a friendship with the princess-like woman. Said friendship makes the huntress feel a little more grounded. Reminds her that fighting and training aren't the only things a wannabe knight is good for.

She drags her team to her favourite clothing store, Booties and Boutiques, a lot more after befriending Teal.

It's a great place to be fashionable and kick-butt.

A great place to hang-out after grueling missions.

So, when a minor Grimm attack happens inside the city, and Booties and Boutiques happens to crumble from an attack, Coco smiles and delivers pain equal to what she feels to her enemies.

She's glad the place is rebuilt within days and Teal's there, on-the-job for the grand-reopening.

Just in time to start planning a new outfit for the tournament happening in a few weeks.


	12. Chapter: Fox

Chapter: Fox

This is… not what he expected.

"Come on," Hyan urges. His three eyes blink. "I swear it tastes better than it looks."

The human stares at the Faunus, unamused.

"You've got a better sense of taste than I do," Hyan peruses. "And you love my sweets. It just looks like crumble."

Fox pointedly _does not_ reach for the fork.

Hyan blinks again. He looks to the plate of cold, liquid-y, jello-like innards spilling out of the baked desert. Then looks back up.

"… there aren't any raspberries," Hyan offers.

 _Well then_.

Fox grabs the fork and digs in.

He gives a thumb up.

The up-and-coming baker sighs and closes his eyes. He rubs the skin around the eye on his forehead. "At the least, is the crust alright?"

A _so-so_ hand wave.

"Ouch," Hyan winces. "Too soggy or to hard?"

Fox raises two fingers.

"Fudge," Hyan mutters, propping his head on his hands. He and Fox get into a stare down. "Do you think there should be less inside?"

Fox waves away that idea. He motions around, still chewing.

"Right," Hyan sighs. "I'll try to make it thicker next time. Hopefully it doesn't crack again." A pause. "Thanks for testing."

Fox shrugs.

He really doesn't mind.

Free food and great conversation.

He didn't even know he wanted that from his soulmate until he met the young man.

' _Thank you for coming_.'

"Do you want anything before you head out?" Hyan asks, breaking Fox from his thoughts.

The copper haired man pulls out a small sheet of paper.

"Oh, is the carrot cake for your new member?"

Fox nods.

"And do you want the usual?"

Another nod.

"I'll be right back with the orders!"

Fox smirks and leans back in the seat.

Free food for his entire team whenever they stop by.

His best friend is awesome.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading!**

 **Thank you, Littlest1, for your review! I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and thanks again!**

 **Thank you, hypernova2718, for your review! This one's a little more inventive, but does (eventually) tie into this story. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and thank you again for reviewing!**

 **Have a great week, everyone**


	13. Chapter: Velvet

Chapter: Velvet

"And you haven't asked _him_ for a date?" Esmeralda asks, drooling.

Velvet laughs and tucks the photo away. "No! I'm pretty sure him and Blake are a thing."

"But are they really?" Esmeralda whines, reaching across Velvet for the photo. The human whines. "Come on Vel! If you won't introduce us, at least let me stare for a while."

"No way!" Velvet slips the photo away and swaps it for another. "And don't go stealing it!"

"Can you blame me, though?" the human pouts, leaning away. "I mean, just look at dat a-"

"Es!" Velvet laughs, muffling her friend. "Here. Have this one. It's of his whole team."

A couple people turn their heads at Esmeralda's squeal. She slaps a hand on her mouth, and then quietly squeals behind that. "Look at those angles. Those outfits! Those _abs_!"

Velvet laughs as her mind flickers to the soul mark on her bag. She can't help it. When her soulmate talks about her work…

' _I'm sorry to be a bother, but I would be forever in your debt if you would agree to be a sitter for my art class this afternoon.'_

"You should stop by the academy," Velvet says lightly. "More chance of running into them."

"I wish I could," Esmeralda groans, head dropping on the table. "My showing continues after the tournament, though, and I'm freaking out."

"Come for my match, please?" Velvet turns on the wide, innocent eyes.

The human peeks up. She groans and tries to bury her head in the table. "Just the first one, Vel. I _really_ can't spend too much time away from the stalls."

Velvet feel her lips turn down, but nods. "Well, I'll just find you at the market, then! When do you sing?"

"Second day of the tournament. I'm doing tarot cards and palm readings for a few days after. Babysitting after that, and dance classes are on the last days."

"I will definitely be there for the dancing," Velvet says, nudging her friend's head off the table. "Maybe I can drag Coco with me."

"That will be a team effort," Esmeralda says solemnly, lifting her head. Her smile negates the tone. "The world may be better off if we drag Yatsu with us instead."

Velvet smiles.

Truly, her soulmate is the best.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! I don't know what happened with the last chapter, but it was posted last week. even if it didn't say so. If the chapter is unreadable, please let me know.**

 **Have a great May, everyone**


	14. Chapter: Yatsuhashi

Chapter: Yatsuhashi

When they first meet, Yatsuhashi hates his soulmate.

It's not some petty hate. It's not because the man can push Yatsuhashi into anger faster and easier than anyone else. It's not because the other man is stronger. It's not because the man is second in command to the mafia-like group residing in Beacon's Residential District.

Yatsuhashi hates Tiaco because the man insults his team. Enough to make Velvet cry, Fox consider murder, and Coco to pull her gun out in the middle of said Residential District.

Yatsuhashi, barely restraining the urge to pummel the man, holds back his team from committing a couple felonies.

And then he's being held back by his team as he goes for the man's throat.

Suffice to say, Yatsuhashi's soul mark for Tiaco didn't appear before or after that meeting.

' _Watch where you're going!_ '

It appears when he's pulled from fire during the tournament.

"Oh," Tiaco hums, bleeding from the few bullet holes in his side. "It's you."

"Out of the way, Hunter," a grunt hisses, shoving Yatsuhashi aside. The stunned Hunter can only stare as the man bleeds. "Was it clean?"

"Through and through," Tiaco says with a strained smile. "You got anything for the pain?"

"You jumped in front of a bullet," the grunt mutters, using some kind of healing ability to close the wounds. "You deal with the consequences." The grunt, a _kid_ – boy not close to teenage years – looks over to the tallest man in the room. "Any wounds, Hunter?"

Yatsuhashi blinks, realizing they're talking to him. "No, but I need to get-"

"Depleted aura," Tiaco says, hissing as he grabs the Hunter's arm and pulls him down. "You're not going anywhere until our evac gets here."

"My team-"

"Will be fine," Tiaco hisses, shooing the medic-boy away. "If they're not here, they're with the other students. Leave the fighting to the professionals."

Yatsuhashi shakes, glaring at the man a couple years older than him. "I have to-"

"Stop," Tiaco grunts, yanking him down again. Yatsuhashi doesn't give up. "Stop- stop fighting! Hey! Someone hold this guy down!"

It takes three grunts to hold him to the ground. Yatsuhashi glares at the tired man.

"We are in the middle of an insurgent attack," Tiaco says, looking older than he should. "And everyone in this building that's not helping is injured or a liability. Right now, you're the latter. We've been charged with getting the kids and students out of Beacon and, _by the Lord of Creation_ , I'm making sure you're getting out with them." Tiaco waves off the people holding the Hunter.

Yatsuhashi slowly sits up, watching the man wearily. "What's going on?"

Tiaco's smile is all teeth. "A twisted miracle. Every clique, syndicate, and force of nature in Beacon is making sure this city doesn't die." He winces and swears, gripping at his stomach.

Yatsuhashi looks away, to where his weapon is stuck in the ground.

His eyes widen as he reads the words running down the center.

A twisted miracle indeed.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! That's the end of CFVY's chapters, but not the last we'll see of them! An interlude and Penny's chapter will, hopefully, come next week. 'Till then, hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

 **Thank you, Littlest1, for your review! Glad you enjoyed; Velvet deserves all the good things. Thank you again for your review, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

 **Thank you, hypernova2718, for your review! Very true; as great as the episodes with team CFVY (or even just the mentions of them) were, there wasn't as much to go off of for them. Hope you enjoyed this one either way! The teachers, and other adults, aren't going to get their own chapters quite yet. They will… just not soon. Thank you again for reviewing, and hope you enjoyed!**

 **Hope everyone had a great June 1st**


	15. Chapter: The First Day of School

Chapter: The First Day of School

 _Hey Lupus,_

 _Today was my first day at Beacon Academy. And I exploded on the front lawn._

 _For starters, I'm fine. Absolutely fine. One hundred percent A-Okay._

… _You still don't believe me? Well, you wanted to know if anything exciting happened! And, hey! I'm not in the hospital wing! So, yah! There!_

 _But, honestly, the day's felt rather long since I got here. Yang ditched me as soon as we landed. Then I ran into the snow queen, dust went everywhere, and I sneezed and then kaboom!_

 _It wasn't pretty…_

;;;

Weiss watches with no amusement as something in the redhead finally snaps. "Hey, I said I was sorry, princess!"

"It's heiress, actually," says a woman off to the side. The two watch as the black haired lady makes her way towards them. A half-look glanced at said heiress. "Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, one of the largest producers of energy propellant in the world."

Weiss can't stop the large, smug look on her face as she looks from the woman who said her soulmate's words to the little girl. "Finally! Some recognition!"

The black haired woman continues. "The same company infamous for its controversial labor forces and questionable business partners."

Okay. So, not soulmate. Weiss sputters and stalks off, feeling more disappointed than angry. Her soulmate is supposed to be in awe of her. Treat her with respect. Fear her power and ability.

Her soulmate is definitely not some stupid bow-wearing, equality preaching lady with a binding fetish.

 _Seriously, how can that woman breathe!_

 _;;;_

 _I met some really nice people afterwards, though! Coco and Fox helped me and Jaune find the announcement hall! Coco offered to show us around, and Yang found us and joined in! Yang and Coco are even going to hang out this weekend. They both love shopping at the same stores in Vale, so they really hit it off. Fox is cool, too. He doesn't say much though._

 _Oh! I met this really cool – a little broody – woman named Blake! She's got her cat ears tucked under her bow, so I can't tell whether they're as cool as your ears. She kind of reminds me of your sister, with the books she reads. A bit too dark and smutty for me._

 _;;;_

"Hel-looooo!"

Blake looks up.

She first registers the girl that exploded that afternoon.

Then she sees the blonde.

 _Bubbly is a very fitting way to describe her._

 _Bouncy works too._

And, as much as she tries to not get attached, she lets slip a smile when the blonde turns a full smile on her.

 _Soulmate indeed_.

;;;

 _Annnnd, that's pretty much my day. Oh! My parents got me a new headset! My last one kind of… uh, how about I tell you that story later? It has to do with why I'm at Beacon instead of Signal. Nothing to worry about._

 _How is everything in Vacuo? Did you have a great first day? How is your family? What's it been like since the new schedule started?_

 _Write back soon! I'm sending you my Scroll account, so look me up! Having it makes me feel like a real Huntress, hahaha!_

 _Your Pen Pal with an Explosive Personality,_

 _Ruby_

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! Hope people enjoyed this and the next chapter.**

 **Thank you, Azoth, for your review! The short of it is that Askans Guide is a branch of Signal Academy that works on control for those with a Broken Semblance (or Fracture Aura). Danny founded and runs the program, and named it Askans in memory of the nomad that raised her. More will be explained as the story goes on, but feel free to ask any more questions. Thank you again for reviewing, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

 **Thank you, Littlest1, for your review! Yatsuhashi probably had the most unexpected of the team. It won't be the strangest combination, though. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and thank you again for reviewing!**

 **Hope everyone has a great June**

 **Next up: Penny**


	16. Chapter: Penny

Chapter: Penny

They had scanned her weapons over and over. Checking and tweaking, scoping and glancing. The scientists and specialists had looked over the swords and checked the strings too many times – 193 as of today – before proceeding with plans and schedules.

It is her fault they spend so much time checking it. She told her father that she named the weapon. General Ironwood came by, after the first rush of tests and checks, and quietly told her that she didn't do anything wrong. He calmly asked her if anything had changed on her weapon when she named it.

 _No_ _sir_ , Penny had told him.

He had smiled in relief and told her _that's good_.

After he leaves, she catches the words _soul mark_ from one of the many scientists. They express disappointment that she doesn't have one.

Penny's limited database searching reveals that these are marks on weapons. While she has a soul, hers is a manmade soul.

Why would she have one?

Penny stores the information away and continues with testing. She knows better to ask for information she's overheard, only to ask after the scientists willingly tell her.

It is during her training, after all the tests, that she notices the difference. The strings are easier to manipulate. It takes a few moments to get a handle on the new speed, but she is congratulated on beating her previous record. She is praised on the speedy maneuvers by scientists and doctors alike.

It feels _good_ to be acknowledged by more than her father or the general. It is _nice_ to be treated like a person instead of an experiment.

Praise feels wonderful.

She finds letters on the strings. Once no one, not even a camera, glances in her direction, Penny put the sentence together.

' _Um… hello._ '

It is written so small; a microscope would have barely caught it. _She_ barely catches it, and her eyesight is supposed to be the best.

 _Hello_ , Penny whispers to herself, going over videos and audio of people she's spoken to.

Nothing matches the soft, malleable words that help her weapon cut through air.

Penny spends a week doing… risky things. She easily finds all the information she can off of the Atlas servers on soul marks. By then she knows the name of everyone who has a soul mark registered to the system. She knows she's supposed to tell someone, but since she isn't an 'official' human, not really an Atlas residence, she keeps quiet.

Would they take away her weapons if they find out?

Would her father be disappointed?

Would she ever meet the person who defies all logic and has a soul mark with her?

(It takes a _long_ time to process the fact that a soul mark means she has a soulmate. Her manmade soul has a _connection_ to someone. There is someone who cares about her, and she hasn't met them. Someone she can work in optimal performance with.

Thinking about it makes Penny smile.)

And, after a week of digging, Penny goes to contact the nearest available person to converse with about soul marks. For informational purposes.

Two people come up as reachable candidates.

Professor Qrow Branwen: history professor at Signal Academy.

Professor Danny Askans: the only professor to work with and teach people with broken semblances.

They both are contacts on General Ironwood's phone application.

That last bit of information might have come from crossing the security clause (i.e., breaking the law – but only for 'humans'), but it isn't nearly as bad as what Penny decides to do next.

She steals the general's scroll.

Gloves and everything, just so it won't switch users on her.

And then she makes the call.

"Hey, James," says a woman on the other end. "Long time, no hearing from you."

"Oh!" Penny exclaims. She feels a little guilty – _over not being the correct person on the scroll, not the whole stealing thing_ – as she tries to explain. "I'm sorry, miss. I'm not General Ironwood. My name is Penny Polendina! Salutations!"

There is a short silence on the other end. Then an amused huff. "Is that so?" the woman asks. "Well, salutations, Penny Polendina. My name is Danny. Why do you have _General Ironwood's_ scroll?"

"I'm calling to speak with you!" Penny says happily. "I wished to speak to someone about soul marks. General Ironwood's scroll was both the easiest to acquire, and has the largest possibilities for teachers to contact since it has both the third and fourth rank teachers on the subject on the phone application."

"Huh," Danny tries to stifle a laugh. "Alright then, honey. Just make sure you give it back when you're done."

"I will!" Penny says happily. "Does this mean I can ask you about soul marks?"

"Of course," Danny says softly. "You can ask about anything you want to."

In the dark of her room, Penny eagerly starts chatting.

The glow of the scroll lights up the area of letters on her strings.

Penny's eyes never stray from the sentence below her.


	17. Chapter: Players and Pieces

Chapter: Players and Pieces

Ruby would like one – _just one would be great, thanks_ – normal first meeting with a soulmate of hers. Seeing as the first involved living shadows, and now this woman comes riding into the clearing on an Ursa, it's not looking so great.

' _Nora!'_

So, yah. The orange haired woman with a mallet is her soulmate.

Ruby groans and runs forwards, trying to stall the Nevermore from attacking the falling Weiss.

 _This is her life._

But, of course, the words under the name only make sense when her soulmate's partner speaks up.

' _Time we left!'_

Two sentences linked together. A connection saying there isn't one without the other.

And they are in the middle of a battle, so Ruby can't even hint at the words between the three of them.

One, tame meeting, would be very nice.

Four chances left.

…Ruby's still not confident it will happen.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading!**

 **Thank you, TheParadoxicalOxymoron, for your review! Glad you enjoyed! Thank you so much for reviewing (both this story and the other one), and I hope you enjoy this and the next chapters.**

 **Thank you, Littlest1, for your review! Funny that you mention that; once the story reaches a certain point I'll ask if there are any requests, but there are a few pairing chapters in the future that need to happen first. Thank you again for your review, and I hope you enjoy the chapters!**

 **Next up: Cinder**


	18. Chapter: Cinder

Chapter: Cinder

"Are you really leaving?"

Cinder pauses halfway into her room, coming back from a bathroom break. The sixteen year old slowly looks from the paused movie to the eight year old girl not meeting her eyes. Something inside her _twists_ at the kicked-puppy expression on the girl. As the silence stretches, the younger girl hiccups and ducks her head.

"What do you mean?" Cinder finally says, closing the door to her room to give herself some time. She walks over to her still-warm place beside the girl, careful not to glance at the crying child.

Neither is ready for this conversation.

"I can _feel_ it," the girl says, bringing her fists to her chest. She finally looks up; face begging Cinder to tell her she's wrong. "I'm _not_ an idiot. You barely look at me. You rarely have time to yourself outside of classes. You've been training with Auntie more and more. Uncle Qrow doesn't glare at you anymore. They did the same thing before Perry left. And to Seraph and Mal when they were going on their worst mission. And when Professor Sparrow showed up. _Are you leaving_?"

Cinder finally looks into the younger girl's silver eyes.

"Yes, Ruby," the teenager says calmly, her voice steady even as her friend's face falls. "I leave in a week."

"No!" Ruby cries in earnest, throwing her arms around the teenager as if she can ground her to this place. "You can't just leave! _I feel like we'll never see each other again!_ "

Carefully, Cinder pulls the girl's deadlocked hands apart. Her heart keeps _twisting_ and all of the feelings she doesn't _want_ run in circles in her stomach. Ruby whines in the back of her throat and latches both hands around an arm. Cinder takes to cuddling the girl to her chest. She closes her eyes, blocking out the glow of the television.

"We will see each other again," Cinder mutters into Ruby's hair. "You'll have to pretend you don't know me. We'll have to stay strangers. I don't want you dragged into this huge mess, and you won't if I leave."

"I don't care," Ruby sobs, nuzzling the older girl's chest. "I don't want to lose you. Whatever it is, let Auntie and Uncle handle it. Don't leave. _Please_."

Cinder sighs softly, taking time to calm her emotions to the smell of strawberry shampoo. "I'm sorry, Ruby. What I'm going to do is important to everyone. Everyone in the World of Remnant." She calmly rubs circles on the girl's back with her free hand. "All those friends you dream about, you won't meet them if I fail."

"I don't care," Ruby sniffles. " _You're_ my _best friend_. You _can't_ leave."

Cinder smiles into the young girl's hair. A tear falls down the teenager's cheek. It's the only one Cinder allows herself. "I can, and I will." Ruby chokes on a sob and Cinder lengthens the circles she rubs. She waits until Ruby cries herself to sleep. The girl's hands go limp, and Cinder takes the chance to hug the girl closer while she can.

When pins and needles start in her feet, Cinder stands. She carries Ruby over to the air mattress beside the bed. Tucking the girl in and brushing the tears and hair off her face, Cinder sighs.

"I will be here when you wake up," the teenager promises quietly. "I won't let you go before I have to."

Footsteps pass by her door.

Only one person is ever up this late.

Cinder looks over as the sound fades. She turns the television off and then goes towards the door. She pauses, hand over handle, and glances back at Ruby.

Her only soulmate doesn't look peaceful; face twisted as she sleeps.

She feels her resolve weakening.

Cinder walks towards the kitchen, hands shaking.

She pauses at the threshold, sounds of cups clanging. She coughs.

"Oh," Danny turns around, blinking haggardly at her student. "Hi, Cinder. How's the sleepover?"

A ragged breath says all.

Danny nods sadly, _knowingly_. "Tea?"

"Please," Cinder answers, walking towards the counter.

Danny moves to get another cup out, water slowly boiling in the background.

Cinder stares down at the counter. Slowly, she raises her hands. Her emotions turmoil and make it harder than it normally is, but she flexes her fingers and _focuses_. Sharp pains stab in the area where she has no aura, but she _keeps going_. Her breathing gets more ragged as her broken semblance works overtime.

Her teacher makes no move to interrupt, watching silently.

The glass shards start to form from thin air. Slowly, _oh so slowly_ , do they come together. Cinder grits her teeth together, slams her emotions behind a lock, and growls silently for it to _happen already_.

Her semblance works faster. In a few seconds, a bow of glass lays on the table. An arrow lies between the bowstring and face.

The weapon made solely by her semblance.

She quietly names it; the same name every time.

Cinder stares at the arrow shaft.

She stops using her semblance.

For a split second, there is a sentence on the arrow.

' _Auntie's teaching you?_ '

Then, there are only glass slinters on the table, slowly dissolving away.

The kettle finishes boiling.

Cinder replays the words over and over in her head. A short picture on repeat. This will be one of the last few times she'll allow herself to see the mark.

The mug of tea is slipped in front of her.

"Tell me again," Cinder says, staring at the liquid, "what she'll do if she finds out about Ruby."

Solemn understanding cloys the room.

Her mentor doesn't flinch every time a _snap_ is heard while she talks.

From Cinder's fear, the kitchen's windows crack like a spider's web.

From her anger, the glass dishes shatter.

Her resolve doesn't waver again.


	19. Chapter: Do you want to buy a Snow Cone

Chapter: Do you want to buy a Snow Cone

"It's nice you made up with Ruby."

Weiss pauses and looks across to the other bed. Blake flips the page of her book.

"Well," Weiss puffs up, glancing towards the door, "I figured I was judging her too harshly. She _is_ two years younger than us. I shouldn't have expected her to be a role model leader in only a day."

Blake hums, giving the heiress an amused look before going back to her book. "Some people take years to grow, but I think Ruby will surprise you."

"How so?"

"She surprised Yang," Blake flicks the page in her book. "Back in the forest, during initiation. And if her sister can be surprised, I think we'll be impressed, in the end."

Weiss… doesn't know what to say to that.

"So… what else did you want?" Blake asks.

"Excuse me?"

"When you were a kid, what else did you want?"

Weiss sits on her bed and thinks. "I guess… a swing set? I always wanted to learn how to use the swings by myself, but we stopped going to the park when I was… three? I think it was three. And it was a silly thing, so I never asked after… the initial 'no'."

Weiss looks over and sees Blake's complete attention on her. A sudden nervousness rushes through _– the writing is just a fairy-tale, she probably isn't my soulmate_ – and quickly asks, "What about you?"

"Snow cones," Blake says immediately. Then she ducks her head back behind the book.

"You've never had a snow cone?" Weiss says, disbelieving.

Blake shakes her head, not meeting her eyes. "I grew up in a more tropical region. We didn't get to eat a lot of cold things growing up."

"Have you ever had ice cream?" Weiss asks, appalled.

She gets a glare for that question. " _Yes_ , I've had ice cream. Crushed ice and syrup, though, wasn't something that attracted customers, so vendors never sold it."

Weiss gets off her bed, brushes off her dress, and then walks over to Blake. She holds out a hand, which Blake stares suspiciously at. "We are going to get snow cones.

"…Why?" Blake asks, closing her book.

"Because I got my bunkbed," Weiss says like it explains everything. "So you're getting a snow cone."

Blake looks at the hand and sighs. "Can I pass?"

Weiss crosses her arms, narrowing her eyes. "If we don't go, I'll have Ruby make it part of our next _team excursion_."

Blake sighs and nods, getting up. "Alright, I'm coming."

Weiss links their arms, head held high, and leads the way. Her mind goes to other frozen treats she's had, landing on, "Have you ever had sorbet?"

"…Is that like sherbet?"

Weiss looks appropriately horrified, "Oh, we are going to fix this."

Blake gives her an unimpressed look, even though she's secretly charmed by the whole thing.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading!**

 **Thank you, RebekahTPE, for your review! Good guess; until it is confirmed that he is mute or not on the show, he is going to be selectively mute in this story. Thank you again for your review, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

 **Thank you, Littlest1, for your reviews! All shall be revealed… eventually. Thank you again for your reviews! I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and that I can keep you reading until those questions are answered!**

 **Going to try for another chapter this month, but no promises. Have a great July either way**


	20. Chapter: Sun

Chapter: Sun

Being soulmates does not equate to love.

' _Could you make a little noise next time?_ '

Sun _knows_ this. Having a soul mark does not even come close to _meaning_ love.

But it does mean acceptance.

' _Dude, that was the greatest kip straddle cast handstand I've ever seen!_ '

Neptune is his best friend. Neptune is the one to pull him back when he ends up over his head. Or when Sun can't see past his too-compassionate heart. And if Blake wasn't another of Sun's soulmates, Neptune would have been telling the blond Faunus to stop focusing on her. It's not love. It's not a crush. The soul mark is the reason Sun follows her around so often, trying to become her best friend like he is to his other soulmate.

So, Neptune takes it upon himself to keep Sun away until Blake is ready for the too-compassionate blond's friendship.

What kind of best friend would he be if he didn't?

And Sun - after taking a moment to _really consider_ why Blake keeps pushing him away - doesn't hold it against him.

But it takes ice cream with Ruby to understand it all.

"Don't look so guilty," Ruby says around a mouthful of strawberry ice cream. She swallows and motions to her compacted weapon. "You'll see him when you go to your dorm tonight. I bet you another scoop that he'll forgive you in a second."

"I know," Sun groans, staring dejectedly at his melting banana ice cream. "He says I'm the too-forgiving one, but that guy couldn't hold a grudge for his life."

Ruby shrugs. "Well, that's what best friends do."

He gives her a _look_. "Like you and Weiss?"

Ruby snickers, almost choking. "Sun, you haven't even heard of half the things we've forgiven each other for doing. Do you think she _likes_ all these team activities I drag her to? Nah, we might be besties one day, but for now I do it to mess with her."

"Who's your best friend, then?" Sun asks, head on hands while using his tail to spoon an ice cream scoop.

"I've got two," Ruby says with a soft smile. Sun nods and hums as he eats. "The first one I grew up with, but I haven't seen or heard from her in _years_. The second one is Lupus, and he lives in Vacuo."

"Wait," Sun holds up a hand, not knowing whether he's more worried of concerned. "First, _how_ are you best friends with someone you haven't seen in years?"

Ruby looks utterly devastated and he regrets asking. "It's… the reason _why_ she left that I still consider her my best friend. I _know_ she would have visited if she could."

Before she can tear up, he changes the subject to the worrying part. "Okay, okay, so _second_ , you don't mean _Prince_ Lupus, do you?"

Ruby smiles weakly, ducking her head. "Maybe."

"The son of Vacuo's dictator, Lupus?"

"That's the same thing my dad said when I told him we're pen pals," Ruby says off-handily.

Sun groans, burying his face in his hands. "Now the hawk makes sense."

"Oh!" Ruby perks up and animatedly starts waving her hands. "You've met Hai?"

"He almost knocked me off the wall outside your room," Sun admits, drowning his sorrows in ice cream. "Ruby. _Why_ are _you_ friends with that guy?"

"What do you mean?" Ruby says innocently, and very confused. "We met when we were kids, and never really stopped writing to each other since."

Sun makes a noise that's crossed between a whine and a laugh.

"And he's my soulmate," Ruby says in between bites of ice cream.

Sun throws his hands up in the air. "You realize who his parents are, right? What they _did_?"

"Yah," Ruby chews thoughtfully. "Your point?"

Sun makes a confused sound, waving erratically at her. "Your _you_! _How_ are you soulmates with that guy?"

Ruby looks amused. "I think it's the same way you're soulmates with Blake and Neptune."

"That's-" _different_. He wants to say different. It's on the tip of his tongue, but won't come out.

"Sun," Ruby says seriously, folding her arms over her dessert. "At first glance, I'd never have thought you and Blake would be soulmates. It's like night and day, watching the two of you. But then there was the fight at the docks, and it just clicked.

"You… do know all this soulmate stuff has nothing to do with who we are as people, right? It has to do with how well we fight _with_ each other. Just because you and Blake aren't best friends right now, doesn't mean you can't fight perfectly together. _That's_ why soul marks are there. To keep each other alive."

"Yah," Sun sighs, stirring his melted ice cream thoughtfully. "Thanks, Ruby. Doesn't really help, but thanks."

"Sorry," Ruby shrugs and finishes off her ice cream. "But, hey, don't you feel better?"

Sun smirks a little and nods.

"And you're going to make up with Neptune, _right_?"

"…maybe we can hang out here a little longer?"

"As long as you need, Sun."

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! So, I wasn't going to do team SSSN until I finally got the story to volume two-ish, but then inspiration and here we go! So, yah, hope you enjoyed Sun's chapter.**

 **Next chapter should be out in August**


	21. Chapter: Scarlet

Chapter: Scarlet

"Welcome to the sweet shop that's sure to make your day spectacular; how can I help you?"

Scarlet David straightens and slams his hands on the counter to keep his balance. "I have been to too many candy stores, waiting to hear that."

Hyan's three eyes blink once, twice, and then he leans over the cash register. "Gees, dude, I swear I didn't mean to put that in your first words too."

"Too?" Scarlet blinks, finally finding his balance. Then he remembers his words. "Please don't tell me you started a sweets shop because of me."

"No," Hyan insists, waving his hands through the air. "I didn't get your words until my store was up and running. Er, hold on. Atra! I need you to take over the till!"

Once off to the side with a plate of food, Hyan apologizes again. Scarlet waves him off, trying a danish. "You just surprised me. I wasn't expecting to find my other mark in Vale."

"Are you here for the festival?"

Scarlet nods, humming. "This is really good."

"Thanks," Hyan beams, the eye on his forehead widening slightly.

"My team's from Haven," Scarlet explains, eyeing the food thoughtfully. "I've got two other marks that come and go, but I don't know who they are."

"I've got four altogether," Hyan plays with his fingers, gazing around his shop. "You and Fox are the only two I know. And my offer stands with you as well, if you or your team ever want free food, don't be a stranger."

"Really?" Scarlet sits up straight, surprised. "Just like that?"

"All four of my marks are food-related," Hyan says with a self-conscious smirk. "If there's anything I can do well, its make food."

"Thank you," Scarlet says honestly. He clasps Hyan's fidgeting hands and leans forward. "I'll be sure to take you up on the offer."

Hyan smiles widely and meets the man's eyes, slipping a hand free. "Thank you for taking all this well." He waves at his forehead.

Scarlet scoffs and leans back. "Your Faunus traits are beautiful, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

Hyan's posture lights up like the sun, and his cheeks go as red as a tomato. "I'd say you're the best dressed human I've seen, but only since Fox does the rough-edges look."

Scarlet raises an eyebrow and pauses the sweet before his mouth. "We'll have to meet and get you out of that uniform."

Later, they find Fox with his team.

It turns out Coco is Scarlet's second soulmate.

Small world.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading!**

 **Thank you, Littlest1, for your review! Ruby's awesome like that. There will definitely be more on those two later. Again, thank you for your review, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

 **Hoping to get Sage's chapter out this month**


	22. Chapter: Sage

Chapter: Sage

 _I need you to pretend to be in my harem._

"My soulmate is Yang," Sage says, bemused.

Scarlet coughs, choking on his drink. Once breathing again, he turns on the dorm bed, placing his book on the night table. "You're joking."

Sage shows him the bubbly letters on his sword.

"You're not joking," Scarlet deadpans. He takes a long drink, thinking it over. "Do you think it appeared before or after her uncle gave you the shovel talk?"

Sage laughs, setting his large sword to the side. "Either way, I'm sure it will be a great story to explain."

Scarlet nods knowingly. "You can be part of her real harem now." Sage chokes on his laugh, and Scarlet smirks evilly. "You can use this as proof to her uncle that you care for her, and she'll lose the bet to Ruby."

"I'm not letting Ruby win," Sage says, eyeing his friend warily. "You'll get your own talk soon enough."

"Her aunt's already seen me for it," Scarlet says, waving off intense look and grabbing his novel. "Nice woman. Told me we were good as long as I didn't break Ruby's heart. This pretend harem stuff is fun, isn't it?"

Sage sighs hard and reclines on his bed. "I heard Fox got a more serious talk."

"So did Coco; she was trying not to laugh so hard she was crying."

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! Any guesses who else is in the pretend harem? (Gees, that arc is so far away)**

 **Thank you, Littlest1, for your review! I really hope you enjoyed the chapter and thanks again for your review!**

 **Next chapter out next month**


	23. Chapter: Neptune

Chapter: Neptune

"Emerald?"

"That's what I said."

"The person who looks like she secretly hates everything?"

"Yes," Neptune groans and buries his head in his hands. "Why couldn't it have been Weiss?"

"Dude," Sun pats his shoulder. "It isn't that bad. I'm sure if we talk to her, get to know her a bit, it'll all be fine."

"I think she's dating Mercury."

"Ugh, _one_ , no she's not," Sun flicks his friend's head with his tail. "And _two_ , so what if she was? Seriously, man, this isn't the end of the world."

"I just don't want to ruin anything," Neptune says glumly, letting his hands fall to the dorm bed their sitting on. "Their team is always so distant and I don't want to upset anyone by going 'hey, have your soul mark'!"

"You are _so_ going to be taken advantage of," Sun groans, flopping back on the bed. "And what do you mean they're distant? We always see them around town."

"Well, yah, but they don't hang around any common rooms. They rarely leave their rooms if they aren't wandering Vale."

"How do you know this?" Sun looks over at the blue haired man determined not to meet his eyes. "Dude, were you spying on them?"

"No!" Neptune shouts, whirling around with wide eyes. "I was just- when we were pretending to be detectives and- I just- no!"

"You so were!" Sun laughs, sitting up. "Well, did you think Emerald was cute?"

"I did but that's not-"

"Ha!" Sun cries, pointing dramatically. "See, there's nothing wrong with you guys having each other's soul marks. Besides, it's not like you're destined to be together. We'll go talk to her tomorrow and see what happens."

"You'll come with me?" Neptune asks in relief.

"Of course!" Sun admonishes. "What are best friends for? Besides, it's about time to start being your wingman."

"Thanks, dude," Neptune sighs. "'ppreciate it."

"So…" Sun whistles innocently. "Did you really keep an eye on her, junior detective?"

"Sun!"

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! That concludes team SSSN. Has anyone else seen the character shorts for Weiss and Blake? Honestly, I can't wait to see Yang's.**

 **Thank you, Littlest1, for your review! Scarlet isn't actually one of Ruby's soul marks, but that gets explained later. Still friendly enough for a pretend harem though :) Neptune does have a soul mark for someone on team RWBY… any guesses who? (He's not going to find out for a long time). Again, thank you so much for your review, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

 **Next chapter out next month (or end of this month)**


	24. Chapter: Fight of the Bumblebee

Chapter: Fight of the Bumblebee

Nobody can tell why Blake looks so resign, walking into the fighter's pit.

Well, only a few people even notice the woman looks resigned. Yang picks up on it easily. Shoulders are too tense. Eyes won't look at her. Arms are folded across chest.

Blake looks down-right uncomfortable.

Professor Goodwitch frowns, eyes narrowed, but counts down to the start.

Yang is excited for this. Pair battles usually take up the first weeks of fight classes in Beacon. It's _exciting_ having someone like Blake as her partner. An _equal_. Someone who fights with quiet integrity, contrasting Yang's own large-and-loud movements. Surely this will be a fun fight.

…No one is looking forward to the Pyrrha/Jaune fight.

"Begin!" Professor Goodwitch says loudly.

Yang leaps forward.

Blake leans out of the way, sidestepping and reaching for a weapon that isn't there.

 _Only fists and feet for the first weeks_.

It's the only stumble Blake is allowed. Yang swings her legs in an upward kick.

Blake leans back, catching the foot and throwing it for more momentum.

"Whoa!" Yang yelps, ending up in a front roll. She springs up, posing and twirling on her foot. "Gotta try harder if you want me to _fall_ for you."

Ruby groans loudly from the audience.

Weiss actually face-palms.

Blake raises one eyebrow. "And I haven't even tried to sweep you off your feet."

Yang smiles with unfiltered glee, and springs forward for another punch. "Guess you'll-" _miss_ , she steps to the side and punches again, "just have to-" _miss_ , kick, " _step_ up your game" _miss_.

Blake finally throws a punch, and Yang can feel herself move out of the way without knowledge of doing so. The brief confusion is enough for Blake to start a kick.

 _Which Yang also dodges._

"Huh," Yang's smile turns brighter. "Come on, Blake! Show me what'ca got!"

Blake's eyes are alight with relief. She stops holding back.

Kick. _Miss_. Punch. _Miss_. Sidestep, elbow. _Miss_. Leg up. _Redirect_. Push. _Roll_.

"Enough!" Professor Goodwitch yells, halting the two. Blake lowers her leg, while Yang peeks her head around her held-up arms. "Time's up. Ms. Belladonna, your basic forms need work. You won't always have a weapon, so you need to train yourself to follow the stances for when you don't have one. Ms. Xiao Long, when using your legs, don't overly shift your center of balance. Keep your core muscles strong, and it will go a long way to stopping your foe from tipping you."

The women nod.

"And both of you, _don't flirt in the middle of a fight_!"

"You got it, Professor," Yang says with a cheeky wink.

The younger blonde gets unimpressed looks from the both of them.

"Hey," Yang says, bumping her partner's shoulder as they exit the fighting pit, "that was awesome! And so cool that we went overtime!"

Blake smiles, looking a lot happier than before the fight. "We're the second group to do it."

"But do you know how rare that is?" Yang bounces on her toes in excitement. She throws a few punches in the air. "I wonder if Ruby and Weiss can do it. Maybe we're just that awesome, though."

Yang holds her hand up for a high-five, and she sees something in Blake soften. Their high-five echoes with a loud clap, and then Blake holds the blonde's hand and leans in. "We're most likely _just that awesome_."

Yang smiles and bites her tongue. _Don't you mean_ paw _-some_? There's a feeling Blake wouldn't appreciate _that_ pun. So, she wimps out with a, "Great minds think alike!"

Blake gives her hand a squeeze before walking ahead. "Then it's no wonder we're so evenly matched."

Yang takes the compliment and doesn't even question _why_ they might have tied.

Glynda Goodwitch is the only one to come to the correct conclusion on why two combat fighters couldn't land a solid hit on one another.

Though, Blake lightly squeezes her soulmate's hand again and has a pretty close idea.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! Anyone else excited for the newest season of RWBY?**

 **Thank you, Littlest1, for your review! Yah, not her no matter how much Neptune wishes. Ruby and Scarlet would be a fun pair to read about. Thank you so much for your review, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

 **Thank you, LunaTheBlackWolf, for your review! Maybe, maybe not… seven soul marks, who knows if Winter's quote came up? Thank you for reviewing, and I really hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	25. Chapter: Snow Dragon

Chapter: Snow Dragon

"You're ambidextrous," Weiss says.

Yang looks up from her drawing. Ruby is snickering and Blake is smiling, an eyebrow raised at the heiress. Yang just shrugs, "And you're left handed. Is there a point?"

Weiss huffs and crosses her arms, glancing around the library. "Well, I was wondering if it had anything to do with your choice of weapon."

"I'm not hearing a question there, snow queen," Yang taunts with a wide smile.

Ruby snickers louder and bends her head to continue her homework. Blake goes back to her book, but her bow twitches and gives away where her attention's at.

"Don't be insufferable," Weiss says, pursing her lips. "Did you choose gauntlets because you're ambidextrous?"

Yang's fingers on her right hand twitch. Her left hand comes up and taps the pencil against her cheek. "No? You know a lot of hunters and huntresses use both hands for melee weapons, ambidextrous or not."

"I just thought I'd ask," Weiss huffs again, going back to her homework.

Yang hums, not ready to let this go. She writes some words down, and then switches hands and writes the same thing. "I'm not completely ambidextrous."

Weiss looks up and Yang shows her the page. "They look the same to me."

"Yep," Yang says, putting it down and holding up both hands. "But it feels easier writing with my right hand."

Ruby sucks in a breath, giving her sister a sidelong glance. Weiss doesn't spare her partner a thought, frowning and asking, "Then why do you write with your left hand?"

"Habit," Yang says, flexing her right hand. Ruby keeps watching her sister, waiting. "I grew up doing almost everything with my left hand because I activated my semblance young."

Weiss blinks a few times, hands folding together on the table in thought. Yang smiles at the face her teammate makes. Weiss thinks out loud, "That shouldn't have caused a problem, though. Lots of people activate their semblance young with no consequences."

Ruby looks ready to jump in, face slightly panicked, but Yang grabs her sister's hand to stop her. The blonde smiles at Weiss. "Minor aura fracture on my right arm."

Shock. Weiss blinks at her, and even Blake puts her book down to stare. The 'secret' Faunus says slowly, "That's rather rare…"

"I guess," Yang shrugs and takes her hand back. "Made for a fun childhood. Lots of things went _boom_." She smiles widely and uses jazz hands.

Weiss snatches Yang's right hand, pulling it across the table to exam it. "May I ask who…?"

"My mother," Yang shows a pained smile at the thought. "She used her semblance too much when carrying me. Honestly, I'm lucky it's just a minor broken semblance. The stories I hear from her time pregnant with me could make a movie."

"I get it," Blake mutters, grimacing and nodding at Yang's outstretched arm. "My aunt and uncle share horror stories from when my mother was pregnant with me. I got lucky with no fractures, but it didn't sink in how lucky until half a dozen years back."

"Will you be alright?" Weiss asks nervously, glancing between the two. Her hands slip down to cover Yang's, softly touching.

Yang squeezes reassuringly. "Absolutely! I hate to _break_ it to you," she winks, "but this changes nothing. I'll still kick butt any time, any place!"

Weiss groans, but squeezes back before letting go. "Please don't."

"What? You don't think I can do some _damage_ , princess?"

"Yang, stop."

"Way to _shatter_ my fun."

"No."

Weiss gets finger guns and another wink. "Yes."

But the small noise of reluctant acceptance Yang tries to get out of Weiss only comes the next time the heiress sits down to clean her weapon.

She does _not_ appreciate having to clean around the new, bubbly words that wrap around Myrtenaster's dust chamber.

' _Look, uh, it sounds like you two just got off on the wrong foot.'_

Weiss whines with reluctant acceptance again.

"Winter is never going to let this go," Weiss moans to the empty room.

Because Weiss always had a problem keeping the correct foot forward, and now it's her soul mark.

 _Wonderful_.

* * *

 **A/N: a wild chapter appeared. Thanks for reading!**

 **Thank you, Littlest1, for your review! I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

 **I hope everyone is having a great day. Thank you again for reading.**


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